Former India cricketer C D Gopinath dies at 96

C D Gopinath, last surviving member of India’s team to win its first Test against England, passed away at 96 in Chennai. He was a former captain of Madras State and Ranji Trophy star, remembered for his cricketing legacy

Hyderabad: The last surviving member of the Indian team that won its first-ever Test against England, C D Gopinath, passed away in Chennai on Thursday. He was 96.

Gopinath, a right-handed batter, made his Test debut against England in the 1951-52 series, scoring an unbeaten 50 and 42 during the second Test at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.

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India won its first Test in the last game of the 1951-52 series at the M A Chidambaram Stadium, with Gopinath contributing 35.

He was also captain of the Madras State team from 1955 to 62 and served as a national selector. He was the manager of the Indian team which toured England in 1979.

Gopinath scored 2,349 runs in the Ranji Trophy, with 234 against Mysuru as his highest score.

After the demise of Gopinath, 95-year-old Chandrakant Patankar, who played one Test against New Zealand in 1956, is now India’s oldest living cricketer.